beehiiv, built by early Morning Brew people, treats a newsletter as a media business: writing and sending, plus referral programs, cross-newsletter recommendations, an ad network, paid subscriptions and a proper web home for every post. Analytics focus on growth levers, not just open rates.
It suits creators and media operators intent on growing. Writers who just want to write find it noisy — Buttondown is the minimalist pole, and Kit sits between with deeper automations.